10 Food and Beverage Products Made in Jacksonville

What does Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, packaged grocery store vegetables, blended coffee beans, fresh bread, candy and sausage links have in common? Other than being edible, their also produced in and distributed from Jacksonville in some level of capacity. Here's the story behind ten sites where this takes place.

The original recipe for Azar Sausage was created by John Azar in 1954. Azar and his family had emigrated from Lebanon to American in the 1920s, moving to Jacksonville and opening up a small grocery store. Sausage making became somewhat of a pastime for Azar, and before long, he was selling sausages out of the back of that grocery store.

Word of Azar’s sausages spread and it gained popularity among locals very quickly. John eventually converted the family grocery store in to a state-inspected sausage plant and thus, Azar Sausage Company was founded. By 1960, Azar Sausage Company would grow to a national brand when Azar’s son, Raymond, came onboard the company.

The business ran in the same spot for over 20 years, before moving to Haines Street. It would then spend another eight years in the Springfield area, before rebuilding, revamping, and moving back to their original spot on the eastside.

Today, Azar is still a family-operated company running on its third-generation; Azar’s son, as well as Azar’s grandsons, Phillip and John. They still use the same, original family recipes; using the finest-quality of meats and herbs. Currently employing 23, Azar cleans, seasons, grinds, and rolls out 20,000 pounds of sausage and 30,000 to 40,000 pounds of smoked meat each week. Their products include fresh breakfast links, mild and spicy smoked sausage and Italian sausage, and bratwursts. They also offer limited cuts of meat, like ribs and neck-bones. Azar products are locally available at Winn-Dixie, in some independent meat markets and are served in several restaurants, including Bono's, Hoptinger, Woody's, Famous Amos, Country Cabin and Metro Diner. Their bratwursts are also served at Jacksonville Suns and Jacksonville Armada FC games. They also sell in bulk at the plant to anyone willing to pay them a visit.

Azar Sausage & Meats Company's factory is located at 719 East Union Street.